Comment Highlight

My good friend from the Pensamientos blog left a reasonable and thought-provoking comment on one of last week's news posts. Her comment was in response to California's desire to mandate the teaching of "gay history" in schools. This is what she had to say.

I read the article on including gay history in California classroom curriculum, and specifically the suggestion that "slain San Francisco politician Harvey Milk would be an appropriate choice [to study]. Leno contends Milk's fight for civil rights is as worthy of class study as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s." I did some research, curious to see if the concept of teaching gay history in the classroom could be considered more of an attempt not to leave out important, influential people in history simply because they were gay.

However, after reading some about Harvey Milk, I have difficulty seeing how a classroom discussion of him could be appropriate for the high school or middle school audience. Kids don't need to be involved in discussions about the nitty gritty defining lines of sex crimes (a lot of the political controversy surrounding gay rights in the 1960's had to do with laws prohibiting oral sex and similar activities), and while I agree with the thought that the public at large should not believe that all gay men are trying to lure children into sexual abuse (one of the prominent beliefs of the 1970's straight world), do conversations about pedophilia really belong in the high school or middle school classroom? Children don't need to be hearing or discussing these sort of things... and a sanitized version of Harvey Milk's story would simply be another distortion of history.

And an interesting point about Milk's assassination... he was not assassinated for being gay. He was assassinated by a disgruntled fellow politician. How can someone compare Milk's story to Martin Luther King's? Other details confirm that Milk, although perhaps he could be seen as a brave man campaigning for the rights of a minority group, does not have the kind of integrity that a man like Martin Luther King had (such as a story of Milk disclosing the sexual orientation of Oliver Sipple, a gay ex-marine who saved President Gerald Ford from an assassination attempt, against Sipple's wishes, because he felt that it was "too good an opportunity" for the gay community).

These are important issues... but these are not issues that can be presented objectively, without a political slant, nor are they ones that can be taught in a manner appropriate for the age of the audience.

Well said.

Persecution Updates: July 1

1.

Pastor's Death Sentence Upheld by Iranian Supreme Court - http://www.aina.org/news/20110630192158.htm

2.

Voice of the Martyrs Update July 1, 2011
(Original post HERE)

Pakistan—Evangelists Threatened and Under Investigation
VOM Sources

Muslim leaders in a remote Pakistani community threatened an evangelist recently, telling him to stop his work or he would “see results coming in the future.” The men approached “Salman,” the evangelist, as he distributed gospel literature. They told him, “We are well aware of what you are doing here; you are trying to convert Muslims to Christianity. We warn you to stop these activities.” Unshaken by their threats, Salman boldly replied, “I am here because my God sent me. … When the Lord asks me to leave this place I will do it, but until then I will not leave.” In another Pakistani city, officials visited an evangelist’s office and asked if Christians were involved in converting Muslims to Christianity. The officials also asked about the evangelist’s source of funding. Christians who work in the office are now under investigation, and authorities are also watching their mail. Pray that God will grant wisdom and protection to all those sharing the gospel in Pakistan.

Sudan—Growing Violence in Sudan
Samaritan’s Purse

Intense fighting has erupted along the border between north and south Sudan. Eyewitnesses report that dozens of civilians have been killed and more than 60,000 displaced. Two churches built in the area by the Christian ministry Samaritan’s Purse (SP) were burned, and multiple bombs have been dropped near an airstrip used for SP relief efforts. In addition, attackers looted the home of some of the ministry workers and burned their offices. “Churches and pastors were directly targeted,” one pastor said. The renewed violence comes at a critical time in Sudan’s history, as south Sudan is preparing to become an independent nation on July 9. If the fighting continues, it could escalate into another civil war. Pray for a peaceful transition of power. Pray that Christians in both north and south Sudan will wait in hope on the Lord.

Afghanistan—Christian Beheaded
World Magazine

A recently released video shows four Afghan militants beheading a man believed to be a Christian in Herat province. The militants, who claim to be Taliban, captured Abdul Latif from his village outside the town of Enjeel. In the video, the men, whose faces are covered with scarves, recite verses from the Quran as they pin Latif to the ground. They read an indictment that references Sura 8:12: “Whoever changes his religion should be executed.” One militant stabs Latif in the neck with a knife, and the men shout “Allahu Akbar!” (God is great) repeatedly until he is fully beheaded. They then place Latif’s head on his chest. Afghan Christians warn of dire consequences for believers when American forces leave Afghanistan. “If U.S. troops are not in Afghanistan, the Taliban will come to power,” Afghan Christian Obaid S. Christ told World Magazine. “We will have the same situation we had in the 1990s when the Russians left Afghanistan, when we had civil war and millions killed.” Pray for the protection of Christians in Afghanistan. Pray that other Afghans will find hope and peace in Christ as they anticipate more violence. Pray that God will grant wisdom to those involved in determining Afghanistan’s future.

Re-posted from VOM.

Same-Sex "Marriage": Headlines and Essays

Latest headlines on so-called same-sex "marriage."

• Obama Steps Into Same Sex Marriage - http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303339904576403891060580806.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
• New York: Gay Marriage Approved by Senate - http://www.christianpost.com/news/new-york-senate-approves-gay-marriage-bill-51559/
• Next Gay Marriage Showdown Could Be In Minnesota - http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GAY_MARRIAGE_NEXT_BATTLES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-06-27-17-22-24
• Bill Mandating California Schools Teach Gay History is a Lesson in Controversy - http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/06/30/gay-history-in-califronia-schools-lesson-in-controversy/
  

Here are some articles on the subject which are worth reading in their entirety. They raise excellent questions and drive some hard points.

• Sex and the Empire State: An Interview with Robert P. George - http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/print/270662
• A Few Queries on Same-Sex Marriage - http://www.kevinbywater.com/weblog/?p=289

If you haven't done so already, check out the Manhattan Declaration here: http://www.manhattandeclaration.org/home.aspx

News to Know - N Korea & Nukes, Lady Gaga Proves the Constition Invalid

UNIONS:

• Union Exempts Itself in Worst Boss Contest - http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/06/29/union-leaders-hold-contest-for-worst-boss-stories-that-excludes-them/

GLOBAL POLITICS:

• North Korea to Chair UN Disarmament Conference: The Fox is Guarding the Chickens - http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/06/29/north-korea-to-chair-un-disarmament-conference/
• Victory for Freedom: Geert Wilders Aquitted - http://www.pi-news.org/2011/06/a-historic-victory-for-freedom/

THE CONSTITUTION:

• via Hugh Hewitt: The 6th Circuit Decision (Healthcare Reform Ruled Constitutional) - http://www.hughhewitt.com/blog/g/60f5973f-53e2-4c06-bd21-6ec3c2a96f42
• The Pledge Wars Continue: Patriotism & Religion vs. Soft-skinned Atheists - http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/06/28/compromise-on-pledge-allegiance-in-oregon-town-has-some-seeing-red/
• TIME Magazine's Reductio ad Lady Gagaum - http://links.heritage.org/hostedemail/email.htm?h=fa8863fb66eb7aa06d9affbafb7dda87&CID=9160967663&ch=E055F0CD944E98495A0DCE6DAE60F2DE
  

Mark Steyn on Free Speech at the IPA

Mark Steyn on Free Speech at the IPA from Institute of Public Affairs on Vimeo.

Escapism: Making Man-Babies

I recently saw a National Geographic video clip which revealed to me something profound. The clip shows a man whose uses enormous diapers, a giant crib, pacifiers, and has a live-in nurse. The catch? He has no handicaps or mental disabilities––he even has a normal job.

I know that if I had enormous diapers, a giant crib, and pacifiers, it would be because I was making the world’s biggest pacifier sling-shot, and my live-in nurse would be there just in case the diaper sling didn’t release the ammo properly (like what happened to this poor girl).

But the man on National Geographic wasn’t building medieval weapons out of giant surplus nursery items. For him, wearing diapers, sleeping in a crib, and being taken care of by a nurse are all part of his lifestyle: Infantilism. He finds comfort and stress-relief in pretending to be a baby. Babies have no responsibilities and no worries; their world is one of warmth and love. The real world is a hard place, and this man escapes by living a fantasy. As the man himself admits, Infantilism is Escapism at its fullest.

After watching the video, it occurred to me that all Escapism is Infantilism, which is why Escapism ultimately makes children of men. Escapism is not only an escape from reality, it’s an escape from responsibility, and therefore from adulthood. Our world does not need perpetual children; to shun responsibility is cowardice, and our world is desperately devoid of real heroes.

We become Escapists anytime we flee to imaginary worlds to escape reality. We flee to films. We turn to music. We run from reality by refusing to entertain disturbing ideas: the idea that we’re wrong, that we ought to do some unpleasant thing, that we ought not have done something that we did. We create worlds where we are heroes, where there is no evil––at least no potent evil, where the gods have spoken and declared us perfect as we are.

Of course, not all films or music or imaginary worlds are Escapist in the same sense. Nor should all shunned ideas be considered. (It is good to shun thoughts of murder, for instance. Those who entertain them make dangerous friends.) Sometimes an escape from the cares of the world is a good thing. Everyone needs a Sabbath.

The rule in determining between wrong escapes (Escapism) and right escapes (Rejuvenation) is this: a bad escape is an escape from reality, a good escape is a leap into reality. We may forget ourselves in a movie, but a good film will leave us inspired to live our lives; a bad film will leave us wishing for someone else’s life. A good piece of music will leave us searching the world for beauty, a bad piece will leave us searching the world for ourselves.

Children ignore problems and hope that they go away on their own. That is why they wear diapers. Given a choice, I would rather be an adult.

News to Know - Shari'a, Yemen, Shield Law, & Money

ISLAM:

• Study: Shari'a and Violence in American Mosques - http://www.meforum.org/2931/american-mosques
• Website: Equal and Free: Tackling the Oppression of Women Under Sharia - http://equalandfree.org/app

YEMEN:

• Peace Prize Winner Starts War Campaign in Yemen - http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/09/world/middleeast/09intel.html?_r=1&hp

JOURNALISM:

• NJ Courts: No Shield Law for Message Board Posts - http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110607/ap_on_hi_te/us_blogger_protections

MONEY:

• U.S. Funding for Future Promises Lags by Trillions - http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2011-06-06-us-owes-62-trillion-in-debt_n.htm#.Te4g92Afcok;facebook
• Bank of America to Pay Couple in Mistaken Foreclosure Case - http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/06/06/bank-america-pays-florida-couple-in-mistaken-foreclosure-case/